Entering the draft, the Broncos had an eye on selecting the heir apparent to Bailey, who turns 35 next month, with their No. 28 overall pick.

But the top four corners went off the board from No. 9 overall, where Dee Milliner went to the Jets, to No. 25, when Xavier Rhodes was selected by the Vikings. The Broncos were particularly hoping for the 6-foot-2 Rhodes, but when he was gone, the next best player on their board was DT Sylvester Williams.

Nicki Jhabvala is a Broncos beat writer for The Denver Post. She was previously the digital news editor for sports. Before arriving in Denver, she spent five years at Sports Illustrated working primarily as its online NBA editor. She also spent two years as a home page editor at the New York Times.